Atlantic County teacher charged with raping student to stay locked up

PORT REPUBLIC — The man accused of molesting a young boy will stay behind bars after it was revealed he had been to the boy's house uninvited this month.

Brian McSee, 53, will remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on charges of sexual assault, official misconduct, criminal sexual contact and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges came after it was revealed that McSee had sexual contact with the boy while he was a choir teacher at Port Republic Elementary School and choir director at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, where the boy attended.

Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said the illegal contact with the boy had been going on more the past three years, as often as twice a week. Tyner said as recently as Dec. 2, McSee had entered the boy's home uninvited. Because the man lives so close to the boy, and the fact that he had gone to the house so recently, Tyner said McSee would stay in custody.

Under the state's new bail law, most defendants can be released from custody without bail as they await charges unless they are deemed a flight risk or a danger to victims, witnesses or the community.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor John Flammer said it was "important to ensure the juvenile victim's safety as well as the public and that the defendant be detained pending further court proceedings."

Tyner encouraged anyone with information about the case to call the prosecutor's office at 609-909-7800 or provide information on the office's website. Information can also be submitted anonymously by calling the Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234, or the Crime Stoppers website.